Building brick or block



June 30, 1942. R.J. DICKHOUT 2,237,979

BUILDING BR'ICK on BLOCK Filed J 29, 1940 Patented June 30, 1942 UNITED STATES T OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improvement in the common brick, such as used at present in building construction, by anew form of brick or block.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a better and more economical. construction than is at present in general use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention, with its novel features, combinations and methods of arrangements will be hereafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved new form brick or block.

Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the block.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the block.

Fig. 5 is a three course wall in elevation constructed with this block.

Fig. 6 is a plan of Fig. 5 showing method #1 of laying.

Fig. 7 is also a plan of Fig. 5 showing method #2 of laying.

The brick of this invention in its preferred form has the approximate over-all dimensions of two common brick placed edge to edge. It is, however, an integral object specifically shaped to obtain certain advantages.

Reference to Figure 2 will show that a gore has been removed from the body of the brick so that its shape is a block having upper and lower plane faces, two solid sides, one solid end, and one recessed end.

The specific proportions used have been carefully chosen to give a maximum economy of material without impairment of strength. They, further, are such that the brick may be baked satisfactorily without undue shrinkage in any direction and without cracking during the burning process. It will be noted that the gore is symmetrically located with respect to the longitudinal axis of the brick. The base of the gore is approximately half thewidth of the block and its depth is approximately three-quarters of the length of the block. Its inner end is suitably filleted. It is obvious that this results in a saving of material and weight of approximately 20% without impairment of strength or durability.

Further, it is not necessary-as in the case of common brickto provide indentations on the faces of the brick for mortar locks since the edges of the gore function in this respect. Finally, as is more fully explained hereafter, this brick may be so laid as to achieve specific advantages and economies not possible with common brick.

Figures 6 and 7 show two methods of the use of the brick of this invention, each having a special advantage.

In the first, shown in Figure 6, the bricks are laid in each course with the open ends of the gores facing each other, i. e., each brick is reversed as compared to its adjoining bricks in the same course. The bricks of different courses are so disposed, however, that vertical air pockets are formed within the structure of the wall. These air pockets do not communicate one with the other, so that a number of closed air spaces result. The air therein confined is particularly emcient as an insulating medium since it is well known that small confined air bodies are superior in insulating qualities to large unrestricted bodies in which tendencies to air flow are set-up in the event of a temperature differential.

In the second method, shown in Figure 7, the bricks in each course are laid in series, 1. e., the gore end of one brick abuts the solid end of the next brick in the course. The courses themselves are so arranged that the gores of the bricks in one course partially overlay the gores in the bricks of the adjacent courses. This, it will be noted, creates a number of vertical air columns and each such air column communicates with its adjacent air column. However, the air-flow from column to column is baflled by the configuration of the individual bricks so that large air movements within the wall are not encouraged. This type of wall is also effective as an insulating structure for while the air may circulate, such circulation is hampered. The particular advantage of this structure is that in case of fire, the heat applied to the wall at any one point is dissipated by reason of the intercommunicating ducts and localized expansion cracks or other damage is minimized.

It will be noted that with the use of this brick, a wall containing insulating air pockets may be obtained which in thickness is no more than that of two common brick. Were such common brick to be used, to obtain the advantages of this construction, the width of the resulting wall would of necessity be equivalent to at least one and one-half times the length of a common brick. It is apparent joined with the economy both of weight and material in the new brick itself is a substantial further savin in the resultant wall structure. Further, no extra skill is required of the brick-layer and there is no diminution in strength or durability.

I claim:

In a structural wall made of rectangular bricks having three solid edges and one recessed edge whereby each brick is substantially U" shaped and the projected plan area of the recess is substantially less than a moiety of the projected rectangular plan area, a number of courses, each course comprising a number of said bricks, adj oining bricks in each course being disposed so that adjacent bricks abut recessed edge to solid edge, each brick in each course being so disposed that the solid center base portion of said U shaped brick overlies the recess of a brick in the course thereunder, said solid center base being spaced intermediate the extent of said last-named recess whereby continuous vertical interconnected air chambers are formed in said wall.

RICHARD J. DICKHOUT. 

